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Applying biochar to soil: Is it worth the expense?

Applying biochar to soil: Is it worth the expense?. Jeff Novak, USDA-ARS-CPRC Northeast Biochar Symposium November 13, 2009. USDA-ARS GRACEnet program. United States Department of Agriculture. USDA. Outline:. Biochar reactions in soil (C and N cycles) Nutrients released from biochars

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Applying biochar to soil: Is it worth the expense?

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  1. Applying biochar to soil: Is it worth the expense? Jeff Novak, USDA-ARS-CPRC Northeast Biochar Symposium November 13, 2009 USDA-ARS GRACEnet program United States Department of Agriculture USDA

  2. Outline: • Biochar reactions in soil (C and N cycles) • Nutrients released from biochars • Soil physical improvements after biochar addition • Biochar movement into soil • Biochar applications to soil a. particle b. pellets • Conclusions Pecan biochar enmeshed in the fabric of a Norfolk soil aggregate

  3. Biochar reactions in soils: C cycle CO2(g) Biochar in soil H2O leaching DOC

  4. Biochar reactions in soils: N cycle Drying and removal from columns Soil total N (%TN) H2O leaching NO3-N

  5. Nutrients released from soil + pecan biochar:

  6. Improvements in soil physical properties after adding biochar Soil water holding capacity (WHC) determined by weight 1.2 PV of di. H20 added to surface of each soil Water leachate collected over 30 hrs (covered to minimize evaporative losses) Water leachate weighted for chemical analyses and pots weighed daily

  7. Biochar movement into soils Biochar added to Ap horizon Pecan shell biochar and Norfolk (before mixing into soil) Biochar also needed in the E horizon Pecan shell biochar and Norfolk (after mixing into soil)

  8. What we need to achieve is biochar in Ap and E horizons: • Biochar that can be surface applied, disked in, and then migrates through soil into subsurface hard layers. • We believe that biochar may assist in aggregate formation. Norfolk Ap Norfolk E (hard layer)

  9. Biochar leaching experiment Column packed with Norfolk E Column cut in 1/2 Norfolk Ap/E ± biochar leached with di. H2O Dark bands are leached biochar

  10. DOC (g) collected from biochar (BC) treatments (Novak and Busscher, unpublished data)

  11. Biochar applications to soil Manure feedstock pelletizer Pyrolyzer Biochar applied to field Raw Pellets Pelletized biochar (From Dynamotive)

  12. Conclusions • Biochar adds C and nutrients to soils, influences the soil N cycle (+/-); • Some biochars can act like a liming agent and increase a soils WHC; • Biochars can move into soils; • Biochar processing for field • application; • Is it worth it? Just ask Jeff!

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